1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing foodstuffs to which konjak is added.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for preparing hamburgers or the like to which konjak is added without injuring the taste of resultant foodstuffs.
According to the present invention, konjak can be added to foodstuffs without injuring its flavor by using konjak paste prepared in a pH range of from 9.0 to 10.3, preferably a pH range of 9.5,to 10.2. Such a prepared konjak additive greatly contributes to rendering foodstuffs low calorie.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
Konjak has been utilized as food from antiquity. In recent years, attention has been focused on its usefulness as a dietary product because of its non-calorie property and its ability to add dietary fibers.
However, until recently konjak has been used mostly in a board-like form provided as daily food but it has been difficult to make use of konjak as a material for processed foodstuffs, for example, to add konjak to other foodstuffs thereby to impart its peculiar texture to the foodstuff, to improve physical properties of foodstuffs or to use for calorie control.
The development of technology for adapting konjak raw materials such as konjak powders, etc. for processed foodstuff materials or foodstuff additives has heretofor been retarded.
Thus, in a conventional method for preparing konjak, 900 to 1200 liters of water is added to about 30 kg of konjak powder, the resulting mixture is swollen to make konjak paste and 3 to 6% of lime is then added to and mixed with the konjak paste.
Subsequently, the mixture is filled up in a container, a molding box or the like and heated at a temperature of about 80.degree. C. for about 60 minutes to obtain the conventional konjak product in board form. This process has been used from antiquity.
Therefore, in the case of using konjak powders as food materials for other processed foodstuffs, etc., there have been adopted techniques of finely dividing konjak into powder and adding such fine konjak powder, or swelling konjak in water and adding the konjak as konjak paste, or adding lime to konjak and adding the resulting konjak paste, etc.
However, these techniques involve a problem that konjak mannan is not gelled even at the stage of final products so that the paste state remains, a problem that a smell of slaked lime used as a solidifying agent for konjak remains, a problem that taste is deteriorated because the pH is inclined toward an alkaline side, and the like.
Accordingly, the amount of konjak to be added has been greatly limited under the actual situation though it is wished to add a much greater amount of konjak for purposes of improving physical properties or controlling the calories of the loose foodstuff.
As a result of extensive investigations to add konjak to foodstuffs without injuring the taste of such foodstuffs, the present inventors have found that by adjusting a pH value of konjak paste in a range of from 9.0 to 10.3, the alkali taste or paste-like texture can be prevented.